ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on Tuesday it would soon invite tenders to ensure the availability of COVID-19 vaccine for local Hajj pilgrims.
The decision was made during a consultative session in Islamabad that was attended by the representatives of National Health Services, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Expanded Program for Immunization and Polyclinic Hospital.
The meeting focused on issues related to the health and safety of Hajj pilgrims and availability of meningitis vaccine and regular flu shots.
The coronavirus pandemic also came under discussion, as the participants of the gathering tried to identify various vaccine procurement options.
“We are not going to compromise on the health and safety of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims,” said a senior ministry official, Shahid Ahmad Sindhu. “We are also going to consult the National Command and Operations Authority to ensure the availability of the coronavirus vaccine.”
Pakistan has already launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign after receiving 500,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine.
The country is also expected to get 17 million doses of AstraZeneca in the coming months under a global scheme for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to developing nations.
Will soon invite tenders to ensure COVID-19 vaccine for Pakistani Hajjis — religion ministry
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Will soon invite tenders to ensure COVID-19 vaccine for Pakistani Hajjis — religion ministry
- The religious affairs ministry is expected to invite tenders to ascertain sufficient availability of COVID-19 vaccines
- Ministry officials also want enough meningitis vaccines, regular flu shots for Pakistani Hajj pilgrims
Pakistan telecom regulator urges restraint on social media amid regional tensions
- PTA warns against sharing unverified content, says legal action may follow ‘fake news’
- Advisory comes as Pakistan strikes targets in Afghanistan and Iran faces US, Israeli attacks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator on Saturday urged citizens to avoid sharing “unverified or inflammatory” content online, warning that legal action could be taken against those spreading misinformation amid what it described as a “sensitive national situation.”
The advisory from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) comes as Islamabad says it is targeting militant positions inside Afghanistan following a recent flareup between the two neighbors, while Iran is under attack by the United States and Israel in an escalating regional conflict that has heightened security concerns across South and West Asia.
“In view of the prevailing sensitive national situation, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) urges all citizens to be responsible while using social media and digital platforms,” the regulator said in a statement posted on X.
The PTA advised citizens “not to share, disseminate, forward, or upload any unverified, inflammatory, or misleading information/content that may directly or indirectly harm the national interest, public order, or state institutions.”
It said people should instead rely on authentic information based on official sources and refrain from spreading rumors and “fake news.”
“Sharing any fake news/information is liable to legal action in accordance with applicable laws,” the authority said, calling on citizens to act with “caution, maturity, and a strong sense of national responsibility” to help maintain stability and public confidence.
Pakistan in recent years has witnessed increasingly stringent implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), a cybercrime law that has drawn criticism from rights groups, with journalists and activists arrested and prosecuted under its provisions.
